Second-Hand Avarice
by kitzzzakit
Summary: Based off the 2003 FMA anime. I do not own FMA, just my OC's and the Philosopher's Sword. Astrid is Dante's daughter. Her father died when she was young. Now he's Greed and he's not a human anymore. After Greed revolts, Astrid does too. Now locked up in Lab 5, Astrid got her wish. Now she's anything but human.
1. Human

"Why the hell would you want to be like us, when we strive so hard to be like you?" said Jealousy, as he aggressively ran his hands through his thick green hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Astrid looked up at Jealousy, eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched around her short silver dagger and a scarlet Philosopher's Stone.

"Wrong." The girl replied as she stood up from her previous position after being knocked of on the floor by Jealousy. "You don't want to be who I am. You just want to be who I am. Human." Astrid observed the rosy Stone that she now possessed. She brought it to her lips and opened her mouth... Astrid, being her mother was an alchemist, knew very well what could happen if she consumed the red rock made of souls. But she wanted to try it anyway, even if it meant a large chance of death.

BAM! The door suddenly slammed open. Jealousy whipped his head around. His eyes immediately widened to the sight of Dante's face.

"Astrid...There will be hell to pay if you do this." Dante said. Astrids face went red and her eyes, unlike Jealousy's, flashed with rage in place of fear.

"What are you going to do about it, mommy dearest? Lock me up like you did my father?" She shouted. Astrid through the Philosopher's Stone into her mouth and swallowed it whole. Instantly agonizing pain rushed through her body like a wild fire. She shrieked in pain, clenching to her jet-black hair and almost ripping it out. Astrid's eyes flashed with a bright red light and she puked. The alchemist's daughter crashed to the ground. For Astrid, everything in her sight was eaten up by pitch black darkness.

 ***Astrid's Flashback (And POV)***

"What do you mean he's not my dad?" I said confusion and frustration was eating up my 12 year-old self. "I mean, he looks just like dad!" I ran my hands through my short spiky hair that often was to blamed for me being mistaken as a young boy. Dante looked down on me with those ice-cold eyes. I hated them. And I hated her. And Envy...I hated the whole giant house in which I lived in.

"Your fathers dead, you know that. Don't fool yourself into thinking he's ever coming back." She said to me. I my eyes widened and my mouth hung open a little bit, but I quickly clenched my teeth when I felt tears coming. "That was Greed. He's not your father, he's merely an experiment."

"He's like Envy and Jealousy?" I replied, still slightly confused why I saw my dead father walk past me.

"Yes, he's a homunculus. Get back to you studies." Dante demanded. I quickly look back down at my ancient alchemy textbook, knowing that if I questioned anything about it further that I would get beat. Dante's beating left me aching for days. She called it "discipline."


	2. Flashback Continued

***Astrids POV (Flashback Cont.)***

When I finally finished my alchemy studies, I was able to slip away from the huge mansion-like house I was forced to call my home. I was a real treat to take a walk in the dark green, luscious forest. I barely ever left my home, due to my mother's strict orders not to.

I grinned has a inhale the fresh air. I choose my usually path into the woods, taking only my sharp dagger. I fancied the blade a lot, since my father had gave it to me. The metal blade was shiny and silver, not a spot of rust to be seen on it. It had a soft, black leather handle that always helped my help me get a good grip on it. Dante did know about my precious dagger and I did not intend on showing her. She never allowed me to learn any sort of fighting styles. She told my I wasn't ever going to leave her house so I didn't have to worry about it. It upset me when she said things like that; and it only made me long for knowledge in martial arts. Jealousy taught me a little bit: he was a lot nice than Envy. I guess it was because he was a Second Gen. Homunculus.

I despised the normal Homunculi. Envy was mean and cold, so I didn't even try speaking to him. Gluttony terrified me to the point I refused to be in the same room with, who wouldn't? Dante told me she was going to make more. I really hoped she wouldn't.

Anyway, I ran down the forest path, where I ended up near an old abandoned shed. This was my prime getaway spot, and the place I spent the most time in when I snuck out. I walked around the back of the grey shed and began practicing my skill in fighting. Shink! I pulled out my gleaming dagger. I threw the sword against the ancient build and repeated for at least a half an hour.

I was still thinking about Greed. Sure I know how homunculi are made. I just didn't know why she had to do this to him. Out of all the dead people on this planet she decides to experiment with human transmutation on him. It made me upset. I was really sick and tired of Dante's bullshit; her beatings, locking me up in that damn place, treating me like her slave, and treating me like I was weak and inferior. I wished I wasn't a human. Maybe then I could be stronger than her. I was so deep in thought I didn't see Jealousy come up behind me.

"Boo!" he shouted in my ear. I shrieked, whipped around to him, and impulsively stabbed him in the face. He screamed and backed up, falling in the grass. Small sparks lit up on his new wound and it healed in right in front up of me. I watched in amazement; I had only read about this phenomenon in dusty old alchemy texts, but never had seen it.

"Whoa! That was cool!" I said, my widened eyes looking down at him. Jealousy stood up, wiping the blood off of his newly healed face.

"Cool? You just stabbed me!"Jealousy said has he showed a slight grin.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you sneak up on people...Or me anyway." I stared up at Jealousy. He looked about four years older than me. He said that I would eventually be as tall as he was, considering the Second Gen., like the original Homunculi, didn't age.

"You better run back to your place." Jealousy told me.

I questioned him with a "Why?" because I really did not desire returning home.

"Dante's looking for you." was all he had to say to me and I instantly sprinted home, terrified of the consequences if I got caught.


End file.
